🌾 CHAPTER 1 — The Day Everything Changed
1071 Words
The rain had been falling since dawn — a steady, unbroken curtain of gray that blurred the world outside the bus window. Lia Santos pressed her forehead against the cool glass, watching the city rise slowly in the distance. Tall buildings, endless roads, people rushing under umbrellas… everything felt bigger than she imagined. Bigger than her.
She tightened her grip on her worn backpack, the one she had used since junior high. Inside it were the only things she truly owned: a few clothes, her scholarship documents, and a small notebook filled with dreams she never dared to say out loud.
Today was the day she would start her life in the city.
Today was the day she would leave everything familiar behind.
Today was the day she would try — really try — to change her future.
But beneath the excitement was a quiet fear she couldn’t shake.
What if I’m not good enough?
What if I don’t belong?
What if I fail?
The bus slowed as it approached the terminal. People stood, gathering their bags, talking loudly, moving with purpose. Lia stayed seated for a moment, letting the noise wash over her. She felt small — like a single raindrop in a storm.
But she forced herself to stand.
She had come too far to turn back now.
A City That Didn’t Wait
The moment she stepped off the bus, the city swallowed her whole. Cars honked. Vendors shouted. People rushed past her without a glance. The air smelled like rain, exhaust, and something unfamiliar — opportunity, maybe.
Lia pulled her jacket tighter around her. She had never been in a place this crowded. Back home, she knew every face, every street, every corner. Here, she was just another stranger trying to find her way.
She checked the address on her phone — the dormitory where scholars like her were assigned to stay. It was a few kilometers away. She could take a jeepney, but the rain was pouring harder now, and she didn’t want to get lost on her first day.
So, she walked.
Her shoes soaked through within minutes. Her hair clung to her face. Her backpack grew heavier with every step. But she kept going, repeating the same words in her mind:
You earned this.
You deserve this.
Keep going.
A Moment of Collapse
By the time she reached the dorm, she was shivering. The guard gave her a sympathetic look as she signed in.
“First day?” he asked.
Lia nodded.
“Welcome,” he said kindly. “It gets easier.”
She hoped he was right.
Her room was small — a single bed, a desk, a window overlooking the street. But to her, it felt like a palace. A place that was hers. A place where she could begin again.
She dropped her backpack on the bed and sank onto the floor, hugging her knees. The weight of the day crashed over her — the fear, the exhaustion, the loneliness she had tried so hard to ignore.
For a moment, she let herself cry.
Not loudly.
Not desperately.
Just quietly — the kind of tears that fall when you’re too tired to hold them back.
When she finally stood, she wiped her face and took a deep breath.
You’re here.
You made it.
Start again.
A Chance Encounter
Later that afternoon, she walked to the university for orientation. The rain had stopped, leaving the streets glistening. Students filled the campus — laughing, chatting, confident in ways she couldn’t imagine.
She felt out of place immediately.
She kept her head down, clutching her notebook like a shield. She didn’t want anyone to notice how nervous she was.
But someone did.
As she turned a corner, she bumped into a man carrying a stack of folders. Papers scattered everywhere.
“It’s okay,” the man said, kneeling beside her. His voice was calm, steady — the kind of voice that made you feel safe even when you were embarrassed.
When Lia looked up, she froze.
He was older than her — maybe mid‑twenties — with sharp eyes softened by warmth. His hair was slightly messy, like he had been running around all morning. He wore a university ID around his neck.
“You’re new,” he said, smiling gently.
Lia nodded, cheeks burning. “First day.”
“Scholar?”
She blinked. “How did you know?”
“You have that look,” he said. “Overwhelmed but determined.”
Lia laughed nervously. “Is it that obvious?”
“A little,” he admitted. “But that’s not a bad thing.”
They gathered the last of the papers. He stood and offered his hand to help her up.
“I’m Evan,” he said. “I work with the academic support team. If you ever need help navigating the program… or the campus… or the city… you can come to me.”
Lia hesitated before shaking his hand. “I’m Lia.”
“Welcome to the university, Lia,” he said. “You’re going to do great.”
She didn’t know why, but she believed him.
A Feeling She Didn’t Expect
As she walked to the auditorium, Lia replayed the encounter in her mind.
Evan.
The way he spoke.
The way he noticed her.
The way he made her feel seen in a place where she felt invisible.
She didn’t know who he was beyond his name and his role.
She didn’t know why he had been so kind.
She didn’t know why her heart was lighter after talking to him.
But she knew one thing:
Today had been the hardest day of her life —
and somehow, he had made it feel a little less heavy.
A Promise to Herself
That night, Lia sat by her dorm window, watching the city lights flicker like distant stars. She opened her notebook and wrote:
“Day 1. I arrived in the city today. It was overwhelming. I cried. I almost gave up.
But someone told me I’m going to do great.
And for the first time today… I believed it.”
She closed the notebook gently.
Tomorrow, she will face new challenges.
Tomorrow, she will meet new people.
Tomorrow, she would begin her journey.
But tonight, she allowed herself to feel proud.
She had survived Day 1.
And maybe — just maybe — she wasn’t as alone as she thought.
- Writer
